1. Field
The present aspects relate to wireless communication devices, and more particularly, to apparatus and methods associated with providing network service provisioning information to open market wireless devices.
2. Background
A wireless communication device, otherwise referred to as a handset, is utilized to communicate with another handset or a landline phone via a wireless communication network. In order to establish a connection with the wireless communication network, the handset must have a relationship with an operator or service provider to allow access to the wireless communication network and to manage billing the user of the handset for the use of the wireless communication network. In a closed market system, the operator maintains a degree of control over the distribution and sale of handsets operable on the wireless communication network of the operator. For example, the operator may distribute and sell the handsets itself, or authorize a third party to perform this task, where the respective closed market handsets are authorized and provisioned by the operator to work on the wireless communication network of the operator. Thus, a closed market handset is limited for use in a specific wireless communication network corresponding to the respective operator.
In contrast to the closed market system, an open market system allows a handset to be distributed and sold for use on any of a plurality of wireless communication networks each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of different operators. In the open market system, a user must obtain a user identity module, such as a smart card, from one of the plurality of different operators, where the user identity module includes a key or other authorization mechanism allowing operation on one of the plurality of wireless communication networks. The user may then insert a removable module that includes user identity information into the open market handset, thereby enabling the open market handset to communicate with the respective wireless communication network associated with the operator that authorized the removable module. For example, a removable module may be referred to as a Removable User Identity Module (RUIM) for a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a CDMA Subscriber Identity Module (CSIM) based on a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) for a CDMA system, Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) based on a UICC for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), or a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) in a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) system. For the sake of brevity the term removable module is used herein throughout to refer to any module that may be inserted or otherwise is communication with a wireless device that provides for storage of data, such as user identity information.
In addition to providing access and authorization to communicate over a network operator's wireless communication network, the removable module may be configured by the network operator with provisioning information for one or more network services. For example, provisioning information may be provided for on the removable module for a download service. One example of a download service is Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless® (BREW®) download services, available from Qualcomm Incorporated of San Diego, Calif.
However, a problem exists in the open market scenario if neither the removable module nor the open market wireless device is configured with provisioning information for a network service that a user desires to access. For example, a network operator may deploy removable modules into the open marketplace, which may not be configured for an emerging service, such as, for example, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), because at the time of deployment the network operator did not offer this service. After the removable modules are deployed in the marketplace (i.e., being used by subscribers in open market devices), the network operator subsequently begins offering the service. Since the deployed removable modules are not configured with the requisite provisioning information, the subscribers may not be able to access the service unless the open market device memory stores the requisite provisioning information or the subscriber replaces the removable module with an updated removable module that includes the necessary provisioning information. In many, if not most, instances if the service is a relatively new service, the wireless device may not be configured with the requisite provisioning information for the network service.
Since many network operators may not have over-the-air provisioning capability to add or otherwise change provisioning information on the deployed removable module s, the subscriber's only options may be to replace the removable module with an updated removable module that includes the necessary provisioning information for the newly offered network service or return the removable module to the network operator for provisioning information updating. However, replacing the removable module with an updated removable module or returning the removable module for updating is an inefficient process and, in many emerging markets in which the use of open market wireless devices is prevalent, not a viable option.
Therefore, a need exists to provide the user of an open market wireless device the ability to acquire provisioning information for a network service in instances in which the provisioning information is not currently available on the removable module or the open market wireless device. The desired process should provide for obtaining the provisioning information without having to replace the removable module with an updated removable module or otherwise return the removable module to the source for re-configuration.